Saumya Khandelwal Documents the Reality of Child Brides
Saumya is one of this year’s recipients of the Getty Images (@gettyimages) Instagram Grant. The grant supports photographers who use Instagram to document stories from underrepresented communities around the world.
In Shravasti, India, Saumya Khandelwal (@khandelwal_saumya) documents vibrant, joyous scenes in celebration of marriage – but the reality is these brides are children. “It almost feels like a girl is born to be married here,” says the 27-year-old photojournalist. “They don’t know that there is an alternative way of life.” Saumya maintains a physical distance from Shravasti with her home in New Delhi, but her connections with the girls, and their stories, keep drawing her back to the rural city. “I think, primarily, what they need to know is that they have options in life. They should have the ability to dream,” she says.
